L-3 Link to Provide UAS Training for U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force has selected L-3 Link to provide training for its Predator Mission Aircrew Training System (PMATS) program, through a recompete contract.

(L-3's PMATS ground control station simulator. Photo, courtesy of L-3.)

Under the new contract, L-3 will provide training for Air Force MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper operators. Within the PMATS units, Predator and Reaper crews will gain mission qualification using L-3's simulation system which features an actual ground control station and degraded video feeds.

Currently the Air Force has 26 PMATS devices throughout the United States, and the contract includes options for L-3 to build over 50 additional PMATS devices. The company will also be responsible for follow-on concurrency between PMATS devices and the actual unmanned aircraft through 2019.